Across the Midnight Sea

Chapter 21: Sea of Memories

I can't believe how intense this chapter got while writing it for me. Its a nice long one. Hope you enjoy.

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"How dare you interfere with a slave's punishment," A line stood out starkly in the center of Verek's forehead. His fury was a living creature seething in the room around them. Whatever previous pretense had been there before of gentlemanly curtesy had vanished.

It took all the effort in the world for Adira not to bolt.

"You had NO RIGHT!" shouted, and Adira's whole body trembled in the wake of his fury. Somehow, against all reason, her feet remained anchored in place.

"He was dying..." she protested weakly. 

"That's what slaves do, they work and then they die," said Verek's assistant, Nicholi, dismissively.

Nicholi was right, that's what they did. That's all they did and it was wrong. Gods how could anyone do that to another human being? She had looked into Imre's eyes and seen so much pain.

It was unfair.

The look in Verek's eyes was dark. 

He would punish her if he got the chance. She knew it.

And who would protect her here, alone, on the open sea?

Adira turned towards the captain, hoping to find an ally in him.

"Surely... you do not approve of the way he was being treated," she managed.

"No more than I approve of you interfering in matters that do not concern you aboard my ship," said the captain calmly. 

Adira swallowed.

It was better than a complete rebuff.

"From now on you will remain in your quarters in the evening," the captain continued. "Unless escorted by myself or Mr. Smithers is that understood?"

"Yes," Adira said solemnly.

At least that way she would be safe.

Even if it was just another cage, at least this one was keeping the dangerous animal out instead of keeping her locked in.

What is the difference, her mind argued. It is still a cage.

"And Verek," the captain turned to the slave master. "Perhaps a punishment more fitting to the crime next time?" the captain tilted his chin downwards emphatically.

Verek's already crimson face blushed a deeper shade and Adira saw the veins in his neck pulse.

"You've no right to tell me how to govern my slaves," growled Verek. Then lower, as if appealing to reason "The Shaynari are a conniving greedy people, if you let them get away with anything they will think it good reason to try and take advantage in every way possible. Look at what they did when the sickness came," he pointed. "They had the cure for it and denied us."

"Everyone knows they sent the sickness in the first place to weaken us so that they could take over our lands," Nicholi added.

"I was not speaking to you," the captain said sharply and Adira could see the power dynamic of the room shift in favor of the captain.

Clearly Nicholi felt the shift as well.

"Apologies," he said and slunk back into his seat.

The captain took a breath.

"Verek," he said calmly. "You are master of these Shaynari, that much is true," the captain stood. "But I am master of this ship." the pause was no doubt to let his words sink in. Then he looked to Smither's and waved his hand. "You are all dismissed."